126 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OB, 



CHAPTER X. 



Anchor in Selango Bay. An Afternoon's Liberty. The People and their 

 Houses. Beautiful building Materials and comfortable Homes. Con- 

 trivance to keep noxious Vermin from the Houses. Furniture. Span- 

 iard circumventing Monkey. Monkey circumventing Spaniard. Fruits, 

 and the Cherimoya in particular. Visit to Banana-orchard. Crabs 

 which are red, and that do run backward. Wooded on the Rubber- 

 tree, and sought Store of Limes. See our first Monkeys. Abundance 

 of Monkeys revealed; pelt them with Oranges. Cheapness of Fruits. 

 Ship richly supplied with Fruits. Correcting false Impressions as to 

 Fare. The Runaways. Elisha Chipman." Wicked Bill." 



AT about 3 P.M. we dropped anchor a short half-mile from 

 the beach of white sand, which appeared to extend around 

 the entire bay, broken in places by the encroachment of 

 mangrove -bushes. Again we have before us a scene of 

 tropical luxuriance and beauty. A few dusky spots beneath 

 the shade of the grand trees mark the town, a place of no 

 importance at present, save as a resort for an occasional 

 whale-ship. As soon as all was made snug on board, the 

 captain good-naturedly allowed us to go on shore, with in- 

 junctions to be moderate in eating the tempting but danger- 

 ous fruits of the country. 



The two boats assigned to us were crowded, and we pull- 

 ed off on our short holiday, mischievously rocking the boats 

 and making the sombre old wood around ring with the jolly 

 chorus of a rowing- song, so thoroughly determined were 

 we to give a full notice to human and monkey natives that 

 we were coming. The result of our boisterous play was a 

 capsized boat and a moistened crew ; those who were able 

 swimming to the. shore, and the remainder clinging to wreck 



